The Goa government’s decision to ban beach parties has drawn a positive response from expatriates in the city, who say the measure is a necessary precaution.
The Goa government’s decision to ban beach parties has ruined the plans of many who wished to welcome 2009 on the state’s golden sands. Goa is a popular destination with foreign tourists, especially during the year-end, yet the ban has drawn a positive response from expatriates in the city, who say the measure is a necessary precaution.
Jessica Nicholson, a 24-year-old Australian living in Mumbai for a year, has visited Goa a couple of times and this year too, was planning to go there. But Jessica has now called off her plans. “I have cancelled my trip to Goa. Though there are other reasons, I am a little hesitant to go there after the chain of events in Mumbai,” she says.
Goa’s beach parties and it’s proximity to Mumbai have made Jessica rethink her New Years plans.
Elizabeth Flock, 22, from Chicago, was all set to celebrate New Year’s in Goa, but is now heading home to spend time with her family. However, she insists that if not for family, she would have continued with her Goa plans. “I think this move will definitely affect tourism, and tourism is something that should be encouraged,” she says. “Though the party scene should go on as usual, preventive measures can’t be ignored in the bargain.”
Most expats agree that it doesn’t take much effort to comprehend that people partying in the open in substantial numbers make easy targets. Jarrod Woody, a New Zealander living in the city says, “I am perfectly fine with this ban. Warnings and alerts prior to the Mumbai attacks didn’t deter them, and many people lost their lives. Hence, if the authorities in Goa are taking this preventive measure, it seems logical.”
Woody has been going to Goa for the last two years to bring in the New Year, but this year, he says he will be playing at a prominent city hotel. “Hotels in the city have had a difficult time and this year, I am trying to make their New Year party happen,” says Woody, who plays many musical instruments.
Natasha Crowe is another foreigner who has been in the city for over a year, and she strongly feels that this ban is a positive measure. “If they have called off beach parties citing security reasons, I definitely think the ban is worthwhile. It is in people’s interest and this is what matters the most,” she concurs.
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